5 Things You Should Know About Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft

I know a lot of you haven’t been able to play Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft because of its current closed beta status. You are not alone; many others have been trying to get their hands on a beta key with no luck. So, while you wait for Blizzard to loosen its grip on some keys, here are five things you should know about Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft. Hearthstone is addictive. Like, seriously addictive. It starts during the initial tutorial levels that are required before competing against other human opponents. There is just something about drawing the right card at the right time that brings a level of excitement not found in many other games. It almost has the same addictive nature to it as Magic: The Gathering, but it‘s easier to learn. The game boards on which you play on have features that are addictive in themselves. For example, there is one board which allows you to hurl boulders at the other player via catapult. On another board, a bird follows your cursor and occasionally pecks at it. None of these little additions affect gameplay, but you will find yourself fiddling with them during a match like a distracted puppy.  Unlocking items in-game keeps you wanting to play. Whether it is a new card or some arcane dust, it is always nice to be able to receive things that the devs could have charged for but instead was like “Nah, let’s give them a little reward for their time.” In fact, you can’t buy dust; you either have to disenchant (aka destroy) your rare cards, or earn the dust. Getting free arcane dust is great since you need it to craft that one card you're missing. You will be spending money on this game if you want to be competitive at all. Yes, it is a free-to-play game. Yes, you don’t have to spend any money on cards. The truth is though, you won’t be ranking up very quickly in ranked mode without spending some cash to craft a winning deck. Plus, it is two bucks every time you want to enter the arena mode and predictably, that is where you can potentially win big. Just like you have to spend money in other trading card games, you will have to spend money on Hearthstone. Be prepared for that. And last but not least, Hearthstone is in closed beta for a reason. While it is fun to play and as addictive as Cookie Clicker, there are still several bugs that need to be addressed. Also, for those who may be have a beta key, be aware that even though Blizzard has promised no more account wipes, they are currently implementing rank wipes. From what I hear, it may become a weekly thing. Make sure you are aware that your rank which you have worked hard to get may be stripped away the next morning. Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft is slated to be released sometime this year. Are you trying to get into the closed beta or are you already playing? Comment below!